Group Legal Counsel: M&A & Corporate (Kwazulu Natal) at Aspen Pharma Group

In brief

**Overview** This role is for a Group Legal Counsel, specializing in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Corporate matters, based in KwaZulu-Natal, for Aspen Pharma Group. Aspen is a leading pharmaceutical company, listed on the JSE Limited, with a history spanning over 160 years, dedicated to sustaining life and promoting healthcare. The purpose of this position is to proactively provide specialist commercial contract drafting and focused legal support across various Group Business Units, including M&A, Treasury, Tax, Digital Technology, Commercial, and other general legal requirements, while adhering to Group Legal protocols and strategy. The role requires a Group-wide perspective, with a focus on supporting the Group Head: Legal Counsel M&A & Corporate. **What you will do** Key responsibilities for this position include: * Providing specialized, Aspen and Business Unit (BU) aligned drafting, general legal work, and legal advice to allocated BUs. * Efficiently delivering legally sound, subject matter expert quality legal work for the role’s legal practice. * Delivering work in a timely manner, in accordance with deadlines and project timelines. * Maintaining sound electronic legal practice, file, diary, and template management. * Meaningfully contributing to and delivering ancillary legal work and cross-functional projects within Group Legal. * Developing and improving precedents, templates, and legal opinions. * Meeting or exceeding Group Legal business unit Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). * Adopting and complying with the ways of working within the Aspen Group Legal BU, including Aspen Values and personal Insights® Profile (or similar) application for enhanced interpersonal effectiveness. * Providing legal support specifically to Group Mergers and Acquisitions, Group Treasury, Group Tax (including intercompany transactions), Group Digital Technology, Group Commercial, Group Communications, Group Company Secretariate, Group Ethics and Compliance, Group Finance, Group Human Capital, Group Internal Audit, Group Investor Relations, Group Travel, Group Risk and Sustainability, Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited, and other general legal requirements. **Requirements (from the original advert)** * **Formal Qualification:** * Law Degree or postgraduate Degree – LLB. * Preferably a second degree such as a master's or relevant business qualification. * Admitted Attorney of the Republic of South Africa. * Membership of the Law Society of South Africa and of the Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa. * **Specific Experience, Knowledge and Registration:** * Indicative 5 - 10 years Post-Admission Experience, including relevant legal experience in a corporate / commercial / operational legal environment. * General business, commercial knowledge and experience is essential. * Experience in independently drafting and vetting lengthy, complex legal agreements is essential. * Exposure in drafting and negotiating cross-border legal agreements is essential. * Experience in due diligence investigations advantageous. * Pharmaceutical industry including regulatory experience is advantageous. * Knowledge of applicable laws, policy guidelines and legal practice management. * Knowledge of business and good corporate governance. * Basic to intermediate knowledge of financial concepts. * Strong analytical skills and ability to exercise sound business judgment and work independently but as a member of an integrated legal team. * Display emotional maturity. * Demonstrated ability and willingness to work in a team, including a multidisciplinary team. * Established conflict resolution as a default demeanor. * Display a high level of interpersonal non-political skill. * A natural default to accuracy and attention to detail. * **Skills and Attributes:** * Fluent in English and demonstrate excellent drafting and negotiation skills in English. * Manage multiple priorities, work efficiently under pressure and consistently meet tight deadlines. * Able to work independently but as a member of an integrated legal team. * Taking full personal responsibility for attending to and closing allocated matters. * Intermediate to advanced computer literacy. * Database management and maintenance. * Ability to simplify voluminous, complex information. * Accurately collate, review and summarise information into manageable dashboards / checklists. * Basic to intermediate understanding of financial concepts. * Flexible, outcomes-based, self-motivated and proactive. * Project management, co-ordination and monitoring. **Who should apply** This role is suitable for a highly qualified and experienced legal professional, specifically an admitted Attorney of the Republic of South Africa, holding an LLB or postgraduate law degree (preferably with a master's or relevant business qualification). The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of post-admission experience in a corporate, commercial, or operational legal environment, demonstrating essential expertise in drafting and vetting complex legal agreements, especially cross-border. They should possess strong analytical skills, sound business judgment, emotional maturity, and a high level of interpersonal skills with a natural inclination towards accuracy and attention to detail. The successful candidate must be flexible, self-motivated, proactive, able to manage multiple priorities under pressure, and capable of working both independently and as part of an integrated, multidisciplinary legal team. Experience in due diligence investigations and the pharmaceutical industry (including regulatory aspects) is advantageous. **Deadline** Not specified **Reference** Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/group-legal-counsel-m-a-corporate-kwazulu-natal-aspen-pharma-group Source: myjobmag

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